Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Space Whales and War Supplies
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Thirty galactic standard cycles after signing the treaty with the Deneb Federation.
I assigned trade duties to Hunterak and Killerak. The two set off for the Albireo Star System and smoothly handled the exchanges. Not knowing exactly what we'd need later, they swapped for whatever caught their eye in a haphazard fashion.
Among the haul, the standout items were seeds of the staple crop plant adopted by the Deneb Federation and a variety of animals native to Deneb's planets.
How did they know we might need such diverse genes? What made them think to bring these through trade?
Whoever it was, the Deneb trade liaison has impeccable instincts.
When the animals arrived, they asked if it was fine to disassemble them all, given our bio-specialized nature. The response? They brought them specifically for that purpose.
The Deneb Federation's thoughtful kindness touched the Queen's heartstrings. In return, the legion's largest Space Whale—essentially a colossal surveillance camera—was gifted to the Federation as a friendly gesture.
The animals from the trade were all novel species, but fundamentally not far removed from Earth's creatures. Olympus, the Deneb capital planet, is designed with an Earth-like environment, so the ecosystem carries a similar vibe.
We failed to secure any truly useful animal genes, but it was still nice to see new lifeforms. They served as a supplement of organic matter and a bit of entertainment.
So, the only real score from this first trade is these plant seeds? They called it 'Luson.' After absorbing a few and analyzing the genes, it's giant rice.
It abandons all pest and disease resistance, cranks size and yield to extremes, and is engineered for mass cultivation in perfectly controlled environments.
With planetary-scale national control, even things that seemed impossible by Earth-era logic become manageable.
"Farmvis. Can we make use of this crop?"
"Your Majesty, our current tech can't perfectly control Solar-03 Planet's environment. Humans rely on constructed buildings for cultivation, so it might not be feasible for us."
"Yeah, I figured as much."
Our legion's structures are less like human architecture and more like massive living organisms, so perfectly mimicking human machine control over light, temperature, and humidity is a tall order.
What organism maintains its internal temperature or humidity with zero margin for error, anyway?
Absorbing this 'Luson' rice and applying its yield-boosting gene modifications to our own rice strains would at least make the trip worthwhile.
We'll snag pest-resistant genes eventually. Then we can breed ultra-rice.
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"So this is a Space Whale."
"Yes, Your Excellency. Frankly, it's baffling how such a creature could even exist."
After wrapping up trade with the Lushaka Kingdom, we'd received a Space Whale along with the Tyrant Hornets they called handymen.
True to their bug- and monster-like appearance, these two lifeforms demonstrated the Lushaka Kingdom's extraordinary genetic engineering prowess.
Without gene manipulation, beings like these simply couldn't exist in nature.
This Space Whale understands language and obeys commands. It's docile, ship-sized in scale, capable of space travel—even hyperlane transit at high speeds. It boasts defenses impervious to low-yield weapons. The downside? It eats like nothing else in the universe.
The Tyrant Hornets thrive on minimal rations via photosynthesis and are specialized with massive, durable claws for mining ore veins or hauling heavy loads.
Lifeforms so obviously crafted for labor occurring naturally? Impossible.
The Tyrant Hornets can't be commanded verbally—we got hormone pouches for control—but they said to dissect and analyze at will. Perfect research subjects, since those claws, huge as they are, can't match industrial drills.
But the Space Whale is another story. As a biological entity, it's immune to hacking by the Telluris Assimilator. It recognizes its owner, eliminating capture risks. With its vast cargo capacity, we can redirect shipbuilding resources elsewhere.
A deal that could outright shift the tides of war.
"—And those are its key features. A few tests, and it'd be ready for frontline deployment."
"What lucky finds. Right, Alexandr?"
The president had ditched his headache meds lately. His term started strong but seemed headed for disaster—until divine intervention tossed him a lifeline. These days, his smile stretched ear to ear and wouldn't quit.
"Indeed, Your Excellency. Stabilizing the southern border while handing us a game-changer for the war. And all they want in return? Livestock and plants worthless to us. A near-perfect partner—"
"What if we slap cannons on the back of that Space Whale?"
"Pardon?"
"Look at that broad back. It's begging for some guns."
"How do we mount them? We can't just nail into the skin."
"Weld 'em on. Like a ring on a finger."
"!"
The president's idea was adopted on the spot. Arming the Space Whale with Deneb Federation weaponry gave it a massive edge against the Telluris Assimilator.
The Assimilator had long skimped on weapons, compensating with machine production overwhelming numbers. They'd cripple ship engines, leave vessels adrift, then assimilate crews and hulls under machine intelligence.
But their low-yield arms couldn't pierce Space Whale hide—even if they did, rapid regeneration rendered them useless. Sinkings? Nonexistent.
Plus, that back now packed serious firepower.
For the first time since the war began, the Telluris Assimilator faced territorial losses and fell into a disadvantage against the Deneb Federation.
And the Queen watched it all unfold.
"What a shame."
If the Federation's foe had been an organic empire, the Space Whales could've devoured them, absorbing their genetic traits.
Machines are useless. Machine intelligence tech—every weapon, facility, ship, population—is scrap metal. No absorption, no utility, not even minimal organic supplements. Can't even use it as chow.
Here's the dilemma.
While others stagnate in war, we grow, widening the gap—that's the basics.
But if the Federation smoothly crushes the Assimilator, they'll swallow its territories and systems whole, skyrocketing their power. War economies don't unwind easily, but eventually, they might get too strong.
Prolong the war?
We could surpass and solidify dominance over the Federation, but then they lose value as allies.
Geographic edge? Not yet.
Tech? Irrelevant to our bio focus.
Military? How strong can a weaker nation's forces really be?
In space, raw numbers mean squat. Bring in endgame interstellar civs who can glass planets, and what's a swarm gonna do?
Dragging out the war to inflict damage? Not my style. Better leverage their war needs to boost legion dependency, cementing us as true allies. I'm a pacifist, after all.
"Jarvis."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Absorb 10% of the hibernating warriors and convert to organic matter. Ramp up Space Whale production. We need war exportables for the Federation too."
"As you command."
To bolster the legion's forces, we aggressively invested organics into war beasts.
Having confirmed the tactic of arming Space Whale backs, we engineered variants with pre-formed gun mounts and fiercer tempers.
Others included self-regenerating carapaces, emergency bio-engines that burned rations instead of fuel for low-speed propulsion, dog-like combat beasts stronger than any canine but less savage, and more.
We exported a lineup sure to entice the Federation. As war materiel shipments surged, they realized we were at war too—and eagerly imported, deploying them on the frontlines.
Parts of the Deneb Federation were gradually being supplanted by 'me'.
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